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Eggplant Ricotta Stacks

This baked eggplant ricotta stacks recipe is super easy and oh, so tasty. They are fun to eat and so good that even children love them.

A close up of a vertical photo of a white plate with eggplant stacks on it with the baking dish in the background

I love Italian food and I don’t think it’s just because I grew up eating a lot of it. I think it’s the melding of flavors that really do it for me.

Other than homemade ricotta gnocchi and my famous pancetta, mushroom and spinach version, eggplant parmesan is one of my favorite Italian food.

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My mom used to batter and fry the eggplant before layering it with all that cheesy, saucy goodness and sometimes I do too. But mostly, I try to be healthy and bake the eggplant before I layer.

Christopher from the other room:  “Are you sure it’s not just because you are lazy?”

I glare indignantly through the wall and tell him to mind his own P’s and Q’s.

Do I like the extra work of battering and frying? No. Does that make me lazy?

Maybe. But it also makes the dish healthier and I’m all for that. See? Sometimes laziness can be good for your health.

See how I can spin things?

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To salt or not to salt

Okay, I’ve experimented with this over the years. I’ve salted the eggplant and let it rest before making the dish and I’ve NOT salted the eggplant and just made the dish. Do I see a difference? No.

So, as I’m always looking for shortcuts when making any dish, I don’t salt my eggplant anymore. Try skipping it yourself to see a) how much it shortens your prep time when making eggplant dishes and b) whether you notice a difference in the taste or texture.

How to make eggplant ricotta stacks

Pre-step

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and get a jelly roll pan and a baking dish. Line the pan with parchment paper.

Step one

Gather the eggplant. (Ignore the salt in the photo.) 🙂

Eggplant and salt on a green table

Step two

Wash the eggplant, cut into thin slices and lay them on the pan in a single layer.

If your eggplant is large, you may need two pans.

Step three

Bake for 20 minutes.

Step four

Gather the rest of the ingredients – homemade gravy I thawed from the freezer, or you can use store bought if you prefer, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan cheese and an egg.

Red sauce, ricotta, egg, mozzarella and parmesan cheese on a green table

Step five

Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, oregano and salt in a bowl and mix until it is combined.

Step six

Ladle some gravy in the bottom of the baking dish.

Step seven

Lay 4 pieces of eggplant on the gravy and dollop some of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the vegetable.

Gravy on the bottom of a baking dish, eggplant on the gravy and ricotta cheese on top of that

Step eight

Ladle a spoonful of gravy over the cheese and add a thin slice of mozzarella on top.

Thinly sliced mozzarella on the eggplant rounds in the baking dish

Step nine

Continue layering the eggplant, gravy and mozzarella.

Fast forward four layers. Look at those eggplant stacks!

More layers of eggplant, gravy and cheese in a baking dish on a green table

Step ten

Bake for 25 minutes.

Stacks of eggplant straight out of the oven but still in the baking dish

Time to serve it. I plate a stack and get ready to dig in.

Close up of the white plate with the eggplant rounds, gravy and cheese

Yum, yum, YUM.

I hope you enjoyed this baked eggplant ricotta stacks recipe because it is so delicious.

Other Italian dishes

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

A close up of a vertical photo of a white plate with eggplant stacks on it with the baking dish in the background - square

Eggplant Ricotta Stacks | Healthy Baked

Easy, delicious and healthier than the fried version.
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: eggplant ricotta stacks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 stacks
Calories: 319kcal

Ingredients

The Goodies

  • 1 medium eggplant washed and sliced thinly
  • 1 pound ricotta cheese full fat
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups gravy (or pasta sauce) 1 – 2 cups
  • 16 slices of fresh mozzarella sliced thin

Instructions

Do it Now!

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F
  • Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and place all the slices of eggplant on the pan
  • Bake for 20 minutes
  • While the eggplant is baking, start on ricotta cheese mixture
  • In a medium bowl, add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, oregano and salt and mix until it is combined
  • Ladle some gravy in the bottom of a medium sized baking dish
  • Lay four eggplant rounds on the gravy and dollop some cheese on the eggplant
  • Ladle some gravy on cheese and lay a piece of mozzarella on top
  • Repeat until you have at least 4 layers of eggplant, end with mozzarella cheese layer
  • Bake for 25 minutes
  • Plate an eggplant stack
  • Eat eggplant stack
  • Smile at other eggplant stacks
  • Enjoy
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Notes

I find that 4 layers is the maximum layer before it topples.  I also did not use all the ricotta cheese mixture, so the calorie count is probably less.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Stack | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1029mg | Potassium: 396mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 324mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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40 Comments

  1. This is brilliant ~ I’m a huge fan of eggplant parm, except for the fact that it’s usually unhealthy and takes hours to make, this fixes everything, thanks 🙂

  2. What a great way to enjoy eggplant. This would be the perfect side to may great dinners. I think I might just be able to convince a few people that eggplant is delicious with this recipe.

  3. Lovely recipe! Eggplant is one of those things that I need to remember to use more! Its such a great ingredient and I always seem to forget about it!

  4. I feel like I’m always forgetting how great eggplant is, and eggplant parm is one of my favorite meals in cold weather. I have to make this soon!

  5. Mama mia! I love Italian food also, but strangely never did eggplant parmesan, time to change that! I like that you skip this batter and frying, it makes it so much more healthier! Lovely recipe!

  6. This is one of our favorite winter dinners, although I always do mine on a sheet pan instead of in a baking roll dish, and we bake our “stacks” for a little less time. I can’t wait until the temperatures cool down enough to start making it again.

  7. I usually dont cook eggplant much as my family is not a fan of it.But this looks superb! I know cheese can bring life into any dish!

  8. I am Italian and we love our eggplant parmigiana. Agree with you, I also never battered and fried the eggplant slices, but mostly baked the slices or fried them without batter. It’s too heavy with the batter and it takes away from the other beautiful flavors. I’ve made, like you, the stacked version and I can attest it is absolutely delicious!

  9. This looks like a good one to add to my Meatless Monday rotation! I like that it’s baked instead of fried.

  10. Love that you can just pass everyone a stack with eggplant parmesan in this format. They’re so elegant!

  11. Great healthy alternative to eggplant parm or even lasagna. I was wondering, would the recipe still turn out as good as yours if I leave out the 1 egg? I have an aversion to eggs, but I still want to give this a try.

    1. I bet it would Lois. The egg is just to moisten the ricotta and make it creamy. It may come out not as moist, but I bet it’s still good!

  12. lol… my son made the exact same comment about frying the eggplant. This is one of my favorite Italian dishes. I still layer mine but I like the concept of the eggplant stacks. Fantastic photography! Thanks for sharing Elaine!

  13. Such a good and easy recipe to make the eggplant. I also like the way that you use to explain the recipe. Good work.

  14. This is one of my favorite meals. I tried it years ago and have many times since. Everyone loves it. I make italian sausage with it and it is a great low carb meal.

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